


Poison is the Cure

by rudennotgingr



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-15
Updated: 2014-07-15
Packaged: 2018-02-08 22:45:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1958940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rudennotgingr/pseuds/rudennotgingr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes danger is all you need to break the boundaries both parties are too scared to cross on their own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Poison is the Cure

**Author's Note:**

> Written for oodwhovian who's prompt was: 9xRose (or 10 if you prefer) "You have to suck the poison out!". Beta'd by thedoctordanceswithrose, but I changed a bit after, so all mistakes are mine.

The Doctor burst through the thick foliage, red leaves and brown branches whipping at his already battered leather jacket. He came to an abrupt stop, causing his blonde companion to nearly crash into his backside. He took a step forward in the small clearing, and looked at her over his shoulder with a scowl.

“We’ll rest here for a minute,” he whispered harshly. He circled the tiny hollow in the otherwise dense jungle. Turning back to Rose, he pointed a finger at her. “Mind you a minute is all you get.”

“Right, because it’s my fault I’m human and lack a respiratory bypass or whatever,” she shot back, also keeping her voice low while waving a hand in his general direction.

“You’re wasting air by trying to insult me.” He fixed her with a stern look. She stuck her tongue out at him, causing his hearts to do something he pointedly ignored, before moving to rest her back against a tree. Her chest was heaving from the exertion of running at top speed through the rough terrain, but she wasn’t complaining. And she was obviously doing her damnedest to show she could keep up. He turned away, smiling to himself. As if he had ever doubted.

He strained his ears, keeping alert for any signs of their pursuers. Or Jack. They had decided to split up fifteen minutes ago, and so far there were no signs of his reappearance. Not that he was worried. Jack could handle himself. And if not…

“Doctor.”

Rose’s voice pulled him out of his reverie. He whipped around to find her towards the center of the clearing, the sunlight filtering through the trees making her hair glint like golden thread. She was turned so that he was watching her profile as she stared at something on a low hanging branch.

His eyes followed her gaze up and to the right. Dread curled in the pit of his stomach. Perched on the branch, with it’s head tilted to the side, was the planet’s most deadly species. Of course, to Rose it would only appear to be a pink monkey with cat-like yellow eyes. What she couldn’t see was it’s tongue; it was like that of a frog’s in that it could extend several feet in the blink of an eye. Only the end of it was covered in six tiny barbs, each one secreting a poison that could kill a Time Lord in ten hours if they weren’t treated. Ten seconds for a human.

Bloody fantastic.

“Rose,” he growled, hoping she would catch the seriousness in his tone.

“What is it?” she asked, scrunching her face in a manner that at any other time could have potentially been adorable (not that he would ever admit it), but right now was downright infuriating.

The Doctor took one tentative step towards her, not wanting to startle the creature into an aggressive reaction. It’s yellow eyes darted to his subtle movement and the Doctor saw its tail curl tightly around the branch and the hunch of its shoulders as it prepared to strike.

He dove forward, not wanting to chance Rose’s life on the full ten seconds. He crashed into her just as she spun to look at him with wide eyes. Something sharp pierced the exposed skin of his neck, making him grunt before landing on the ground with a thud. He felt her hot breath leave her mouth in a whoosh, the weight of his body no doubt crushing her. He breathed heavily for a moment, his nose inhaling cool dirt.

He forced himself to roll off her and dig out the sonic from a pocket of his jacket, gritting his teeth against the ache pulsing in his neck. He changed it to the right setting then pointed it at the creature who was watching them closely, determining if it needed to unleash it's poisonous tongue once more. The Doctor wasn't going to allow it the chance. As he pressed the button, the sonic emitted a wail that was too high for Rose (or anyone else in the surrounding vicinity) to hear, but would be just painful enough to cause the creature discomfort. It let out a screech, its fur standing on end, then scampered off through the trees.

He dropped his arm to the ground, barely keeping a grip on the sonic.

Rose sat up beside him. “What the--Doctor? What’s wrong?”

He was breathing slowly, his eyes staring without focus at the red leaves rustling above them, mentally calculating how much time he had until the poison turned lethal.

“Doctor?” she asked again, kneeling over him so that all he could now see was her face. Her large hazel eyes were filled with concern and her hands hovered uncertainly over his chest and shoulders.

“My...neck,” he said between deep breaths. The pain was spreading to the rest of his body, a searing fire that danced along every nerve. He knew he just needed to make it past this first stage.

Her fingers brushed lightly over the column of his neck. Her eyes widened and he heard her sharp intake of breath when she located the swollen red wound.

“Was it from that thing?”

He nodded weakly and gritted his teeth, his entire body feeling like it was being pierced by thousands of tiny needles.

“Is it, I dunno...poisonous or something?” Rose asked hesitantly, still peering at his neck.

The pain subsided, his muscles aching but not unbearably so. “Yup,” he said, grinning and sitting up quickly, almost knocking their heads together.

“Why are you smiling?” she asked as she jerked back, landing on her rear. She narrowed her eyes at him. “And how are you getting up? You looked on the verge of death just a second ago!”

“Superior biology, Rose,” he replied, giving her an even wider grin. He brought one knee up and rested an arm on it, trying to decide the next best course of action.

“Oh, well that’s a relief.” She rolled her eyes and crossed her legs. “So you’re immune to poisons too. Is there anything that _can_ hurt you?”

“Your mother’s cooking.” He would rather not venture down the road of his vulnerabilities right now. Hopefully not ever. That would no doubt lead to talks about the way his people avoided death. Something else he hoped would never have to come up while she was traveling with him. He doubted the universe would be so kind.

“Oi! You said you liked it the last time!” She smacked him playfully on the arm.

“I was only being polite--”

“For once,” she muttered under her breath.

“I heard that. Now would you please shut up, I’m trying to think.”

“Yup, all better. And to think you actually had me worried.” Rose shook her head as if irritated, but the small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth gave her amusement away.

“At the rate the poison is working through my system--”

“I thought you said you were immune?” Her eyes widened and they searched his face, as if for some obvious sign that he was on his death bed.

“I have, oh, about 9 hours and ten minutes,” he reassured her. “Less than it should be, but that doesn’t matter.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Rose, it’s simple. The poison _is_ deadly. If that thing had gotten you, you would have been dead in a matter of seconds. It just takes longer for it to work on my body.”

“Oh.” She looked down at her lap as realization dawned on her, then slowly met his eyes. “Thank you.”

“I’d do it again.” The words slipped out before he could think about it. It was always an understanding that they were in this together. They had to be if they were to survive the way they lived their lives; on the run and constantly facing danger. But it was always unspoken. As time had gone by on, another reason he would always choose her life over his became startlingly clear. And it was one he would keep close to his hearts. There was no way she felt the same. He cleared his throat.

“Right, so...is there a cure?” she asked, taking his wordless cue and skirting around the topic. 

He breathed a mental sigh of relief. “On board the TARDIS.”

“But that’s all the way on the other side of the planet!”

“Yup," he agreed with a nod.

“Can’t we get it from the locals or something?”

“No." He shook his head, having thought of that already as well. The chance that they would be noticed if they even attempted to sneak into one of the villages was too great. "They'll have alerted all nearby villages that we are dangerous.”

“Can we make it ourselves?” He could hear the desperation seeping into her tone.

“Rose--” he tried to head off her emotional explosion, sensing that she was working herself up, thinking he was simply going to give up.

“No," she snapped, desperation turning into determination, her eyes flashing as she stared him down. "I’m not gonna let you die on some stupid planet just because--”

“Would you just--” he interjected calmly, despite the frustration brewing rapidly within. If she would just _stop talking_ for two bloody seconds.

“There has to be something we can do!” She leaned forward as if to challenge him, and something inside him snapped.

“You have to suck the poison out!” he blurted angrily, breathing heavier than he needed to and his upper body tilted towards her, their faces only inches apart. She was just so... _stubborn_.

She blinked at his outburst, then leaned back and studied him carefully. "I have to do... _what_?"

"You'll have to suck the poison out of the wound," he repeated flatly, staying his ground to cover up the uncertainty he was suddenly feeling. It was the only way to ensure he avoided an untimely regeneration. Yet the thought of her pink lips pressed firmly against his neck had him reconsidering his options. Maybe it wasn't the best idea after all. 

“Oh..." She furrowed her brow and some undefined emotion clouded her eyes. Before he could identify it, it was gone. Her face became unusually closed off, but he wouldn't dare ask what was wrong. She chewed her bottom lip for a moment, his eyes unwillingly drawn to the small action. "Um, won’t that poison me?”

“No," he responded quietly. "You'll be perfectly safe. It has to be in your bloodstream to work." His hearts were sinking into the dirt they were both sitting on as each word she spoke made it more apparent that this was something she did _not_ want to do.

“You seem fine now.” She ran her eyes critically over his body and he tried his best not to squirm.

“That’s how the poison works," he explained, leaning his weight back on one hand resting on the ground. "Tricks your body into thinking you’re getting better while it continues to wreak havoc on all your organs. Next thing you know, dead. Unless you’re human." He shrugged his shoulders, feigning disinterest. The thought of Rose dying was a constant source of his nightmares. "Then you’re just dead.”

“Yeah, thanks for that.”

“If you don’t want to do it we can go find Jack.”

“No.” There was a fierce edge to her voice and he was fairly certain he wasn't imagining the pink coloring her cheeks.

“You certain?” He arched an eyebrow.

“Yeah, just…” she licked her lips. “You ok? With this?”

“Course,” he lied, his hearts skipping several beats. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Dunno. Just..." She trailed off and shrugged her shoulders. "Nevermind.”

“What?” Had he misread her earlier actions completely? He highly doubted it. Yet her hazel eyes appeared darker than usual. An image of a wolf flashed through his mind.

“Forget it.” Her voice was firm, but she was intently staring at the trees behind him.

“Rose…”

“Do I have to um, suck the area for a specific amount of time?” She brought her gaze back to his, pointedly ignoring his repeated attempt to find out what was bothering her.

“Eight seconds ought to do the trick," he replied automatically. Emotions weren't something he generally took much stock in, especially not in this body. But it was hard to continue ignoring the whirlwind of conflicting feelings surrounding his hearts.

"Alright, sit forward and look straight ahead."

He blinked. "What for?"

She rolled her eyes. "If I have to suck the poison out, I need to be able to reach your neck."

"Oh. Right. ‘Course." Feeling like an idiot, he leaned forward with one knee still propped up and the other tucked underneath. He placed both hands firmly on his knees and stared off into the trees, swallowing hard.

Rose shifted beside him so that she was sitting on her knees, giving her enough leverage to lean up and reach his neck. His heartbeats quickened as she rose up. She sat back without warning. Disappointment crashed over him. He knew it. She couldn't bring herself to do such a thing with the battered old soldier that he was.

"Put this arm on the ground beside me," she instructed, lightly tapping his elbow nearest her. He flicked his eyes to her for an instant before obeying. The edge of his thumb pressed against the side of her leg. The change in position had him leaning dangerously close to her. He forced himself to take extra interest in their surroundings.

She placed her hands gently on his temples, sending a shiver down his spine. His throat was too dry to ask what the hell she was doing. She pushed lightly with her right hand, cradling his head with her left as she guided the tilt of his head away from her. She stopped pushing, then slid her hand down his face. He barely heard the soft crinkle of leather over the blood rushing in his ears as she pulled the collar of his jacket away from the infected area.

He continued looking straight ahead, trying to ignore the warm puffs of her breath over his neck as she moved closer. Her lips latched onto his skin, smooth and hot, making him fight back a groan. As she began to suck on his flesh a different fire coursed through him. The rough bumps of her tongue pressed and relaxed in a steady rhythm as she worked the poison out of his veins.

He willed his brain to focus on something else, anything else. The number of leaves on the tree furthest away. The difference in temperature between the shade and the small patches of direct sunlight. The life cycle of the creature that had caused this predicament in the first place.

Nothing worked.

With two seconds to go, she sucked hard, pulling his skin further in her mouth and over the ridges of her teeth. He gasped and the hand that had been trying to tear his knee cap off shot to her waist. Mistaking his reaction to be one from pain rather than pleasure, Rose brushed her thumb back and forth across his temple. His fingers curled into her hip and his breathing became ragged.

This was a bad idea.

He needed to get a hold of himself before he lost control and took her right there on the forest floor. She didn't want that. And even if she did, she deserved better.

Swiping her tongue over the wound, she released him with an audible pop. She leaned back, but didn't remove her hands from his jacket or his face. He stared forward, using all his energy and focus to regulate his breathing.

"Doctor?"

She whispered so softly, he barely heard her over the still thundering beats of his hearts. He turned to look at her, knowing dark storm clouds of desire were still swirling in his eyes. She took a sharp intake of breath and her fingers clenched tighter in his jacket collar.

His jaw dropped. Her cheeks were flushed and her pupils were blown wide. Her chest was heaving and her eyes kept flicking to his mouth. She wanted him too.

He should let go. Back up. Run away.

She slid her other hand down to rest at the base of his neck, her nails scraping lightly through his short hair and making him shudder.

"I think I missed some." Her voice was husky and low, sending a wave of arousal crashing through him.

"Where?" He heard himself ask. No, he shouldn't--

"Here," she murmured just before pulling him close and pressing her lips to his. He froze, all the doubts and reasons why he shouldn't be doing this with a human, with _her_ , bubbled up and threatened to explode. She sucked his bottom lip between her teeth and everything but the here and now fell away. There was a low rumble in his chest as his body snapped into action. He kissed her fiercely, his lips moving roughly against hers, needing to feel her all at once. He pulled her halfway into his lap, his hands anchored at her waist.

He was holding the embodiment of hope and he needed to taste her, to know that there was still a chance for someone even as scarred and guilty as he was. Rose's arms wrapped around his neck, clinging to him, reassuring him that she wasn't going anywhere. The universe would have to pry them apart.

"So this is the reason why you suggested we split up. If you didnt want to share, all you had to do was say so."

The Doctor and Rose jerked their mouths apart, but did nothing else to move away from each other.

Jack was standing in the clearing with his arms crossed and a mock frown, amusement glinting in his blue eyes.

"Jack--" the Doctor began.

"Wait," the other man held a hand up, turning serious. "You can lecture me about privacy and sneaking up on people later. Right now, there's a gang of about twenty heading this way and they don't sound very happy."

The Doctor hopped to his feet, haphazardly helping Rose as she slipped off his lap. He took her hand firmly in his, smiling wide. His hearts soared as she grinned back, tongue poking out between her teeth.

"Run."


End file.
